5 ways entrepreneurs can improve their leadership potential

Whether you are a startup founder or a small business owner, how you work with others and the personality you project can have a significant impact on the success of your company.

Remember the following five leadership tips for entrepreneurs, and you will be on your way towards improved business opportunities.

Tip 1: Focus your efforts on making a difference to your team members

Be willing to help them in their jobs, offer them advice on skill advancement opportunities, and show interest in them as people, not just as employees.

Entrepreneurs who take an active role in helping their employees to become more talented and in-demand often find those employees are fiercely loyal to their employer. By helping your employees to become better versions of themselves, you show your staff that leadership isn’t about telling others what to do but instead helping them to see their own potential.

Tip 2: Helping others to feel empowered

Knowing how to make others feel empowered instead of diminished is the sign of a good leader. From the way you speak about others (gossiping is a no-go) to the way you deliver guidance to your team, focus your efforts on helping those around you to feel empowered and invigorated.

Tip 3: Just as the way you speak is essential if you want to become a better leader, so too is the way you act.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a good leader who isn’t also a person of character. If you exhibit questionable behavior when making deals or show your shady side when outside of the office, the quality of your leadership will be called into question. It may be an arduous journey, but you must be willing to be a person of character at all times if you want to be thought of as a respected leader.

Tip 4: Your skill level must match the image you portray

You can’t profess to be one person in your Twitter bio or on your LinkedIn page, and yet not have the skills to match the image you’re trying to portray. Your team will know whether you’re all talk and no action and your willingness to pretend to be something you’re not will cause them to question everything you do.

If you want to become a better leader as an entrepreneur, make sure who you say you are isn’t an exaggeration of the truth.

Tip 5: How you handle challenges says a great deal about you as an entrepreneur

If you panic or become frazzled when encountering stumbling blocks, your team will think you don’t have what it takes to lead the company forward. Work on improving your problem-solving skills and your troubleshooting skills and those around you will grow to see you as a leader.

Becoming a better leader as an entrepreneur doesn’t magically happen. It takes hard work and commitment to be better each day. Regardless of whether you’re a small business owner or a startup founder attempting to build a thriving company, leadership status can be yours if you keep pushing and re-committing to your goals.

Remember these five leadership tips and you’ll be on the right path to entrepreneurial success.